The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has extended electricity supply to 500 communities in the Eastern Region through the Self-Help Electrification Project (SHEP) and the Rural Electrification Project (REP).
The US$61.373 million project was awarded to China International Water and Electricity Corporation last year to extend electricity supply to rural communities in the region.
The Eastern Regional General Manager of ECG, Mr Michael Baah who disclosed this in an interview with the media in Koforidua said, the move was in line with the company’s mandate to supply quality, reliable and safe electricity to customers adding, that about 26,741 meters and other materials required to bring electricity to the doorstep of consumers were provided for free under the project.
He said: “ECG in the region hooked over 400 communities to the grid last year and about 100 have also been connected, since the beginning of this year, and we are hopeful to connect more communities to the national grid by the end of this year.”
Mr Baah stated that about 45,000 customers have benefited from the projects so far, and that the beneficiaries cut across the 14 operational districts of ECG in the region.
“Beneficiary communities included Asarekrom, Koteyeboah, Amafo-Krom, Oseikrom, Asuobena number one and two, Teimuni, Dodowuraso number one and two, Abohemaa, Domebra, Wawase number one and two, Agbogo, Govinakrom, Densuano, Boase Cedi, Korkorsua, Kwao Nartey, Santramor, Nkranfo and Yaw Badu.”
Giving ECG’s projections for the year 2020, Mr Baah stated that about 200 development projects have been earmarked this year to improve supply voltage and supply reliability.
He said the projects were also meant to extend power supply to newly developed areas within the region and also reinforce the existing electrical network with the utmost aim to make service delivery easily accessible to customers, enhance customer satisfaction and contribute towards the growth of the social economy of targeted communities.
“The projects include the injection of 120 distribution transformers, 80 system improvement jobs, and other projects aimed at upgrading the network and improving customer satisfaction,” he added.
Mr Baah said ECG’s utmost objective for the year 2020 was to reduce its commercial losses; the company had also initiated strategies to clamp down on illegal connection.
Mr Baah further stated that ECG would soon launch special telephone numbers for reporting of illegal connection, explaining that “the special numbers will allow customers to willingly inform ECG of any suspected illegal connection activities in their communities”, and promised that any customer that informs ECG of illegal connection would be given six per cent of the amount generated.
Mr Baah, therefore, encouraged customers and the public in general to assist ECG in the fight against illegal connection, appealing to the customers to endeavour to pay their bills promptly to enable ECG undertakes more development projects to support the economy.
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA